Dijon Mayor Nathalie Koenders opposes Patrick Bruel concert over sexual violence indictments

Mayoral opposition to the autumn tour

Dijon Mayor Nathalie Koenders publicly voiced her opposition on Sunday, 23 August 2026, to Patrick Bruel performing in the city at a concert scheduled for 23 October. In a statement published on Facebook, the Socialist mayor, who has led Dijon since 2024, acknowledged that municipal officials lack the legal authority to unilaterally cancel the booking. She declared that she totally disapproves of his scheduled appearance and argued that the 67-year-old singer should step back voluntarily while criminal investigations proceed. Koenders stated that numerous women have spoken out or filed formal complaints against Bruel regarding sexual violence, asserting that their testimonies require attention from the public and the justice system.

Given the number of complaints and the seriousness of the reported facts, his presence on stage seems inappropriate to me today. He should show responsibility and decency and refrain from performing until the justice system has ruled.

Ongoing judicial investigations

Bruel is formally indicted (mis en examen) in four separate judicial proceedings concerning allegations of sexual violence. French investigating judges have also placed the singer under the intermediate legal status of assisted witness (témoin assisté) in four additional case files. Legal scrutiny widened on Wednesday, 19 August, when attorney Myriam Guedj-Benayoun announced the submission of a new legal complaint against Bruel alleging attempted rape. At the end of July, a court granted Bruel's request to ease the conditions of his judicial supervision, permitting him to travel outside French territory. The public prosecutor's office appealed that relaxation of his travel constraints shortly after the ruling.

Tour planning and feminist protests

Bruel plans an autumn concert tour of 35 dates to commemorate the 35th anniversary of his album "Alors regarde". The tour itinerary is scheduled to run from 2 October through 21 November, booking appearances across large French performance venues, including the Zénith de Paris. Bruel had previously cancelled all scheduled concert dates between late May and September following a sharp rise in public accusations and feminist protests outside a Paris theatre where he was acting. Celebrity magazine Voici reported on Friday, 21 August, that the singer still intends to proceed with his autumn concert dates despite renewed calls for public mobilization from feminist activist organizations.

Municipal reactions across France

Koenders is one of roughly fifteen French mayors from diverse political parties who have publicly rejected Bruel's scheduled appearances in their respective towns. Her announcement follows statements from Chartres Mayor Ladislas Vergne, who stated on Thursday, 20 August, that Bruel performing in Chartres was out of the question under prevailing conditions. Chartres is listed as the host city for the tour's opening concert on 2 October. French administrative law specifies that a municipal mayor or departmental prefect can prohibit a cultural event by decree only by demonstrating an imminent risk to public order, leaving local authorities with limited direct mechanisms to cancel private bookings.